5 Hot Wheels Paint Jobs That Need More Love

One of the first HW cars to feature HKS livery was the Tooned Altezza over twenty years ago. I would much rather see Mattel make a replica of Nobuteru Taniguchi’s D1GP Altezza instead (we already have the S15). Although we had an RX-7 with HKS logos in 2019, we didn’t see the full impact of this special livery until the Car Culture Nissan Skyline GT-R (BNR32) came out.

The designers must have felt blood as collectors rushed to get their hands on the new model. The 2018 Honda Civic Type R followed suit; we even had a Super Treasure Hunt version. Following the MBK Van, the R33 and R34 versions of the Skyline GT-R also received an HKS livery. Earlier this year, the same thing happened with the 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor, which was pretty odd if I’m honest.

But there are so many more ways to go down this path. Think of the GR Yaris, the GR Supra, and the GR86 with HKS engines. Mattel doesn’t need to build replicas of real-world cars, and people would probably love to see this theme on an FD RX-7, an RC-F, and even the R35 GT-R.

Motul

Photo: Lamley Group

I worked closely with Motul athletes for several years, and I saw many cars with liveries centered around this brand logo. While you see Motul logos on several Hot Wheels cars, few have a special livery to show off.

The first thing that comes to mind is the Datsun 620 we saw in last year’s Pop Culture: Vintage Oil set, but it’s nowhere near as impressive as the Team Transport LB-ER34 Super Silhouette SKYLINE. We can’t forget the BMW M1 Procar, which appeared in the 2022 Group 5 Car Culture 2-Pack. Of course, there are plenty of sources of inspiration: think of the Motul Autech GT-R or the older R34 in Touring trim.

Speaking of Nissan, consider the Craftsports Motul Z. However, the French manufacturer has sponsored so many racing teams in drifting, endurance and even off-road racing that it will take the die-cast manufacturer years to scratch the surface.

Spoon

Photo: Ministry of Diecast

It wasn’t long ago that we saw a spoon version of the Honda Civic EG. It was a Car Culture: Modern Classics variant, and I have yet to find that one for my collection as well. I recently showed you a preview of the ’24 Honda Civic Type-R, designed by Ronald Wong and using the same yellow and blue paint job that is so iconic among Honda fans.

But this collection is just getting started, which is both great and sad at the same time. It will be easier to start with, but who knows how long you’ll have to wait until the next model comes out. The 1990 Honda Civic EF is the next model to get this special treatment, but it may have to move up to the premium class to get this distinction.

The Honda S2000 would also be a prime candidate for the job, as would the custom ’01 Acura Integra GSR. But if Mattel really wants to hit the jackpot, it’ll need to develop a new mold for the Honda Integra DC5.

Toyo tires

Photo: Ministry of Diecast

Falken Tires already has a strong presence in the Hot Wheels lineup, but the same cannot be said for Toyo Tires. Several castings have used company logos, including the Dodge Ram 1500, the 1995 Mazda RX-7, the 1996 Nissan 180SX Type X, and the 12 Ford Fiesta.

But it wasn’t until we saw the 1969 Nissan Skyline van on the set of Pop Culture: Speed ​​Shop that the Toyo Tires livery became more apparent. Just looking at the Japanese D1 GP drift series provides plenty of inspiration for the theme. Team Toyo Tires has been around for many years and has worked with drivers like Masato Kawabata and the late Atsushi Kuroi.

So here’s a list of cars that would look great in white and blue: the Onevia, the 180SX, the S15, and the mighty R35 GT-R. As with the previous designs, there’s no reason for limits, as I’m sure other JDM vehicles would look great with this type of paint job.

Jaegermeister

Photo: Racecarsdirect.com

My fifth pick is something you won’t find in any Hot Wheels collection right now. Well, some diecast artists may have made their own Jagermeister cars, but Mattel hasn’t offered one from the factory yet.

It may never happen for licensing/commercial reasons, but one can dream, right? The Porsche 962 designed by Mark Jones would look great in orange, and I can already imagine a small fleet of racing machines in that color.

The Zakspeed Capri would fit in just as well as the BMW M3 E30. Of course, we can let our imagination run wild and don’t have to stop at Jägermeister. What other paint jobs would you like to see on future Hot Wheels cars?